This application claims the priority of German application 196 39 663.8-21 filed in Germany on Sep. 27, 1996, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a side door of a passenger vehicle, which for opening purposes, following a sideways movement which moves the side door out of the door frame, is actuated by auxiliary forces to pivot forwards and upwards around a horizontally aligned, bodywork-mounted bearing point.
A door movement of this type is known from German Patent Document DE 43 19 662 A1 and is particularly expedient in two-door vehicles where the doors are long and, for opening purposes, require a large amount of space to allow passengers to get in and out of the vehicle easily, this space not always being available, for example when vehicles are parked one beside the other. In the case of the known door-control means, which is intended in particular for a subsequent installation, the sideways movement in the transverse direction of the vehicle is executed by means of a linear guide which is accommodated in the door aperture on the A-pillar side.
An object of the invention is to arrange the movement mechanism in a non-disruptive manner and such that, when the side door opens sideways, it is released as quickly as possible from the A-pillar, so as not to be subject to any stylistic constraints there, and such that the preconditions for using a movement mechanism which permits a movement sequence which can be easily executed are created.
This object is achieved by providing a side door arranged wherein in the horizontal plane, the pivot axis of the bearing point respectively extends at an angle in relation to the transverse direction of the vehicle, which angle does not exceed 25.degree. in each case, which angle is in the anticlockwise direction on a left-hand side and in the clockwise direction on a right-hand side.
An automatically proceeding movement operation of the side door, in which case the triggering command may be, for example, transmitter-controlled, is made possible if the sideways movement of the side door is also executed by auxiliary force and the mechanism which produces the movement sequence comprises a type of piston/cylinder unit, of which the piston is equipped with guide elements which--in relation to the opening operation of the side door--bring about an axial movement and a subsequent pivot movement.
In a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, the bearing point contains a hinge, of which the bearing journal, in normal operation, connects the two hinge halves rigidly to one another and, in order to bring about an emergency pivoting-out actuation of the side door, can be moved into a starting position, in which the two hinge halves can be pivoted with respect to one another.
If the locking function is eliminated by the actuation of a handle which is accessible from inside and outside the door and is secured against unintentional actuation, it is possible, for example in the case of accident-induced failure of the opening operation which is actuated by auxiliary forces, for the side door to be pivoted open to the side and also for a, for example, unconscious passenger to be easily rescued.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.